Troussier, Hiddink ‘bid for Ivory Coast job’

French coach Philippe Troussier is vying with Dutchman Guus Hiddink for the job to guide the Ivory Coast through this year’s World Cup, a Japanese newspaper reported Wednesday.

“I got an offer (from the Ivory Coast). But there is another candidate that is Mr. Hiddink,” Troussier, who led Japan to the World Cup last-16 round in 2002, the Nikkan Sports daily quoted him as saying.

“To me, the World Cup is an interesting challenge,” said the 54-year-old Frenchman, now general manager of FC Ryukyu, a club in Japan’s third-tier division. “I definitely want to do it.”

Whoever gets the job will take over from Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic, who was axed after the Ivory Coast failed to make the top four in the African Nations Cup last month.

The job will last until the completion of the Ivory Coast’s campaign in the World Cup in South Africa, which is due to kick off in mid-June. The Ivory Coast are bunched in a tough group, with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea.

“It is an emergency situation for the Ivory Coast. I am not interested in the details of the contract,” said Troussier, according to the daily.

Troussier was nicknamed the “White Witch Doctor” for his success with African teams, including the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, in the 1990s.

He coached South Africa in the 1998 World Cup in France before taking the helm of the Japanese national team and leading them to their best World Cup finish yet.

After the 2002 World Cup, he coached Qatar and Morocco and became FC Ryukyu general manager in 2008.

Hiddink won worldwide fame for leading the Netherlands and South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

He coached Australia when they narrowly lost to Italy 1-0 in the 2006 World Cup last-16 round. He also led Russia to the Euro 2008 semi-finals.